Ikuforiji takes N600m money laundering case to Supreme Court

A former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his ex-aide, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi, have approached the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered their retrial for an alleged fraud of N600m.

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos had in a September 2014 ruling set Ikuforiji and Atoyebi free of the 56 charges filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

But the ruling was reversed penultimate week by a three-man appellate court panel, comprising Justices Justices Biobela Georgewill, Side Bage and Ugochukwu Ogakwu.

The panel, after setting Justice Buba’s ruling aside, ordered the return of the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for re-assignment to another judge where Ikuforiji and Atoyebi would be tried after.

However, not pleased with the decision of the Court of Appeal, Ikuforiji and Atoyebi have, through their lawyer, Mr. Abiodun Onidare, proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court’s verdict.

While describing the judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered their retrial as unreasonable, unwarranted and baseless in law, Ikuforiji and Atoyebi begged the Supreme Court to uphold the decision of Justice Buba, who earlier set them free.